Honda Civic Hybrid Owners: Problems & Solutions

heinzt

Be very careful. This is what happened to my wife and she plowed into a store window at the 7/11. She had the small trouble on the freeway that you are having. WELL, this last week, she pulled up in front of a 7/11, slowed the car to a stop, tried to put the car into park, foot was on brake and the car accelerated and went thru the window of the store. You MUSt get this checked out soon, this is how my wife's problem started. Im telling you, she could have been killed for sure, if she had been on the freeway and unable to control whatever was happening. Dealing with Honda has not been easy. We are thinking of going to the news here in our town and doing a TV thing on the Honda Civic Hybrid ...Honda America has not been helpful as of yet! Thanks, Heinz

heinzt

I do not believe this is a safe car at all. My wife was almost killed by a faulty Honda Civic Hybrid. 2004. The mother gunned and took her thru a 7/11 store. I am hiring an attorney on Monday. This happened on the 20th. Be very scared....it's not a normal thing for it to be doing. Heinz

blane

The "lurch" that lmm9 described in her March 18th post #65 doesn't sound even slightly like your wife's experience at the 7/11. How does a single instance of a problem (that has probably not yet been fully analyzed by competent authorities) become the basis of a class action suit, as you've suggested in post #208?

blane

heinzt:

brohem's April 27th post #106 didn't seem to discuss the same "acceleration" problem that your wife experienced at the 7/11. I was curious to know if anyone else may have reported Civic transmission anomalies to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. So, I just visited their website and there are no instances of either defect investigations, recalls or customer complaints about transmissions in 2004 or 2005 Civics, either gas or hybrid.

brohem was advised by another poster that it was necessary to change the CVT fluid at 30,000 miles and was asked if that had been done. Since there was no reply, we do not know if brohem's 2003 Civic, with 50,000 miles on the odometer, had been properly maintained.

Unless the police can totally rule out driver error, you may be frustrated in pursuing "a TV thing", as you phrased it.

blane

heinzt:

ldt, in their July 9th post #190 stated that his/her father's brakes may not have been working properly. In post #208 you posted that your wife's vehicle left "brake marks where she tried to brake" to avoid the 7/11 store window. You can't have it both ways. Your attorney may agree.

larsb

Heinzt, I'm confused now..... :confuse:

An HCH with the brakes depressed enough to make skid marks does not have an engine strong enough to push the car when the brakes are all the way down.....Test it yourself on your car after it's fixed....

Most instances of "the car just accelerated on it's own, I had the brake pressed" have been proven to be "operator error" in which the driver "inadvertently" had pressed the accelerator instead of the brake. The driver is in such a confused or panicked state that they cannot recall, but they logically assume that they OF COURSE pressed the brake! when in reality they did not.

I'm not saying this is the case in your wife's car, but who really knows?

I'm glad no one got hurt, but I'm almost CERTAIN that this is not a vehicle defect which can be the subject of any type of class action suit....

collectibleb

Don't buy a Honda Hybrid, I have had a problem with Lurching and it lurched right through a window. You can't imagine what I have been through with Honda Dealership as far as them owning up to the problem. THere are wonderful notes on the site for the Pruis. I would go with that one. Barb

collectibleb

You are very wrong. I had a Forensic Mechanic look at it and it definetely went forward, I always have a tape on the whole incident and witnesses. I am the wife, my foot was on the brake, not the gas pedal. It did this on the freeway but not as fast or as long.......there is something wrong somewhere. BEWARE of this car, it's dangerous, as far as I am concerned. Barbara

The forensic Mechanic said it can jump through with your foot on the brake if it is reeling or reveing up to 60 mph....you are very wrong..

collectibleb

Take your car to the dealer immediately. I had a lurching problem on the freeway a couple of times, two other drivers of the car noticed it also. This last week I was pulling in to a 7/11 stopped the car and it revved up beyound my control and went through a window. It was horrifying. Have this checked. There is something wrong with this lurching..Barb

blane

collectiblb:

In post #217 you've attempted to relate your 7/11 store incident to one in lcribbs' February 24th post #50 in another forum, in which she wrote about a sixteen-year-old aquaintence's 2001 (non-hybrid) vehicle's accident: "person behind her that witnessed the wreck said she her car just started flipping. Heads over tail, not side ways." Vehicles cannot negotiate such maneuvers without EXCESSIVE SPEED being involved. This appears to bear no resemblence to your accident, as described by heinzt, at all.

larsb

Honda has sold these cars for now almost the 4th year with the 2006 cars coming out....there is no recall for "lurching" as far as I know about.

At Safercar.gov, the NHTSA website, there are no issues for the Civic or the Civic Hybrid in these categories:

Complaints
Defect Investigations
Safety Recalls

I'm pretty sure that after selling several dozen thousand of these cars, if there was a "systemwide problem" we would know about it by now.

I visit and am a member of several Civic Hybrid newsgroups and websites, and no one else is reporting this problem.

Your car might be "lurching" for some transmission related problem, but it is certainly NOT symptomatic of the Civic Hybrids as a car line.

P.S. Next time it "lurches" on you, just put it into neutral and hit the brakes.

blane

With all of the cross-posting in several forums, why do I smell an attempt at trying to build a case for a lawsuit on extremely flimsy grounds?

cablack

I'm pretty certain that all of those old claims against Audi, related to "SUA" or Sudden Unintented Acceleration", were refuted by mechanics and scientists. The conclusion, as I recall it, was that you cannot move a car forward, no matter how hard you depressed the accelerator, if you are applying the brakes at the same time. It is just not physically possible. Especially on a car with a puny engine like the HCH.

Sorry if that sounds harsh, but these repetitive posts certainly have all the hallmarks of somebody ramping up for some type of legal activity. If you are really upset at Honda, which may be the case, I'd recommend taking some other kind of action -- with all the duplicate posts here, you are not making your point at all.

107main

Note that Barb is pushing the Pruis while trashing the Honda Civic hybrid repeatedly on this list!! Pruis, a wonderful car????? Reeks of a Toyota salesman looking for business while trashing the competition! Could we see some proof here? Photo link, etc? My Hybrid lurches too, lurches right past every gas station for about 500 miles! It has never failed to stop at the pump using the brake rather than through a window using the gas pedal!

misterme

Sure does sound fishy.
I wonder if this individual has been involved in any other unrelated lawsuits?
I also find it interesting how "Lawyer" got right into the post.

If the engine was strong enough to burn tire marks into the pavement while the brakes were locked on then why wasn't there enough time to turn the key off?

BTW The only time I'm able to spin the tires is on sand/gravel/debris on the light side around a curb. Heck, it's rated well under 120HP.

motherweary

I'm pleased to report that Honda Oakland replace the EGR valve today, and the car is back to creeping smoothly along in rush-hour traffic. It would have cost somewhere around $400 except that the extended warranty covered the whole thing. However, as far as I can tell there is still no TSB on the problem. I'm going to write to Honda to make a noise about the problem and its solution. Perhaps if enough of us do this, Honda will come to its corporate senses and issue the TSB so that other HCH owners won't have to go through this song and dance.

Also in today: the gooseneck holder for my satellite radio receiver. Life is good.

collectibleb

I beg to differ with you. I pulled into a 7/11 pulled to a stop, was getting ready to put the car into park when the ENGINE revved up to a very high rpm or whatever you call it and jumped forward as I had my foot on the break, it slid to the righ a bit and left skid marks where I tried to brake..there were many witnesses as to seeing me trying to control this freaky car and it went thru the window. There was no excessive speed for me, a 63 year old young woman who has NEVER been in an accident all of my life and am of sound mind and body. SO you are wrong. Boy, its amazing that people have these problems and you men, who think you know everything about it, actually know nothing. You were not there. It's on a tape from the 7/11, thank god.

collectibleb

Get it to the dealer right away. Mine started out that way. Revving up on the freeway and then going back to the normal speed. Then, you have heard my story, I went to park the car and it revved up in a parking lot at 0 speed and the engine started up and went thru a window with me in the car. Thank god noone was hurt. Barb

collectibleb

I will NOT be driving that car again. They are finding that they ARE indeed, at fault. YOu are only seeing the beginning of this mess, believe me. Triple A is also billing them for the faulty vehicle, so be sure, there is something wrong.

collectibleb

Mine lurched into a 7/11. I pulled up and was parking the car in front of one of those cement things , and the car revved up and lurched right thru the window. Be very careful of this lurching and get it fixed. I am also very happy this didnt happen to me on the freeway ..it did, but in a small way. I dont know what the heck happened to it in front of the store. My foot was definetely not on the gas. GL

blane

Barbara,

The tape that you mention surely does not show the position of your feet on whichever pedal(s). As you indicated earlier, it is a 7/11 store surveillance camera tape that probably only shows the OUTSIDE of your vehicle. That proves very little about the root cause of the accident.

blane

Barbara,

Who are the "They" who you indicate "are finding that they ARE indeed, at fault"? Is it a local shop, or is it Honda corporate? That's not a local decision to make.

You write "Triple A is also billing them for the faulty vehicle". The AAA can try to bill anyone they like for their services. However, they cannot bill anybody for a "faulty vehicle". You'd better get better legal advice than you've apparently already received.

larsb

The 7/11 incident is *NOT* I repeat *NOT* indicative of ANY SYSTEMATIC PROBLEM WITH THE HONDA CIVIC HYBRID.

Barb and Triple A and her Honda dealer can spew that all they want trying to rationalize it, or trying to get someone else to pay for it, or whatever their motives are.

But with literally almost a hundred thousand of these cars on the road, it is NOT POSSIBLE that this is a systematic problem inherent or all of a sudden developing in the Civic Hybrid line of cars.

Just not possible. Forget it. Buy another car, Barb, but quit bad talking the HCH before you know what you are talking about.

misterme

From the multiple posts that appear to be talking to each other, I'd say we are being spammed with a hoax.

collectibleb

I assume that you are all men and think women know nothing except to hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes. You are very sadly mistaken, but what's new. You'll see this happening again and maybe then, and only then will you see what I am talking about.

I wish I had purchased another car, I would never own another Hybrid by Honda again. Believe me. THEY are the one's who drove the car and experienced the lurching on the freeway before the incident happened. AND, no I am not litigious but I am going to get that way now. I hope you are all safe in your little Honda Hybrids, I wish you the best. Good luck guys!! I hope your wives and children will all be safe in this car........and with that, I willl laugh...because I don't think they will be. It will take a little more time. Also, I realize the tape doesn't show the inside of the car and my feet, however, it shows how the car suddenly went forward and how I was trying my best to stop it with the brakes, along with the brake marks where the car was parked, or was for a moment......AND I STILL SAY THE HONDA CIVIC NEEDS HELP. be careful before you buy one. Also, they do NOT try to help much when you do need help. I have seen that on other forums...

collectibleb

I would definetely wait for your safety's sake.

gagrice

I assume that you are all men

Mostly yes. I have followed your posts and feel you experienced a very traumatic incident. I will not try to analyze what happened. As you have already noticed there is a lot of protectionism of the hybrids on these forums. It is in it's infancy and many here believe strongly that it is the future. I believe you have run up against opposition at the dealership also. Honda has a hard time accepting that they may have any problems with their creations. They have had a long run of success and the recent fires and transmission failures have left them feeling vulnerable. My advice would be to get your car repaired and sell it while it has decent resale. You will just waste your money with attorneys. Honda has deep pockets and WILL out last you, unless you can get Bill Gates interested in your case. Good luck

cablack

Aw c'mon, Gary. I have read your posts for quite a while now, and even though I sometimes disagree with you, I have found you to be fair, polite, and rational. And you offer insights and viewpoints that I might not have considered. And, I get the impression that I would really like you if I ever happen to be in your neck of the woods and we have lunch or something!

But this is clearly either (1) a scam, (2) a fishing expedition for litigation, or (3) an extremely misguided individual. Who clearly does not care for men. :-) I shudder to think what will happen to the other forums that some of us frequent, if the poster finds out about them.

Almost every case of sudden unintended acceleration has been thrown out by the courts, and yet this type of complaint and litigation seems to spring from an eternal source of money-hungry lawyers. Although it has been proven to be impossible to accelerate a car when the brake is depressed, this does not stop the lawyers, who tend to claim that the brakes simultaneously failed, even though in every case, when the car was examined, the brakes have been shown to operate without a problem.

If you would like to know who the main targets of this perpetual litigation are, you can search the web; you will find that the primary targets are Ford, GM, and Chrysler; and more recently Toyota. You don't see much about Honda; I hesitate to say it, but perhaps this is a step in that direction. To my untrained eye, it seems to be a case of "following the money."

In the articles you can read out there, the overwhelming conclusion of journalists, safety boards, courts, and engineers and mechanics, is that sudden unintended acceleration is caused by one thing, and one thing alone: accidentally stomping on the gas pedal instead of the brake.

So my advice would be to stop posting message after message after message after message here in this forum; it is only working against you, and making your story less believable. You have had your say (about twenty times); now get a lawyer if that is what you prefer, and try to convince Honda or the courts of your point. Then come report to us the results.

Then, we can get back to arguing about Gary's Silverado, and Lars' mileage, and whether we like or hate hybrid SUVs, and whether diesel is better than hybrid, and getting scolded by the moderator, and ...

larsb

Barb, I am truly sorry about your wreck.

But that does not inhibit or affect the fact that many on this board know FAR MORE about hybrid cars than the average Joe (or Josephine) on the street.

We would know if this was an inherent problem on the Honda Civic Hybrid - we would just know that already. Problems like you are accusing your car of having *DO NOT JUST MAGICALLY APPEAR and then start SPREADING from car to car like a virus. That just does not happen. It's not reality.

If none of the multiple tens of thousands of Honda Civic Hybrid owners have reported this problem, it's not going to ALL OF A SUDDEN start happening to them just because something odd happened to YOUR CAR.

I'm saddened that you are against the Hybrid, because as a Hybrid Advocate, I spread the word about the awesome technology in these cars. Having people out there "blaming the Hybrid technology" *BEFORE THEY REALLY KNOW THE CAUSE* is very disagreeable to me.

I can promise you one thing: If you try to sue Honda for this incident, you will lose, in part because no one else can come on the stand and say "Oh yes, this happened in MY CIVIC HYBRID too!" You will not find that person, and you will lose like all the other owners who sued car companies for "sudden unexplained acceleration" problems.

So I say take Gary's advice, get your car repaired and sell it, and quit blaming the technology.

motherweary

Barb, I'm not a guy, and I can sympathize. Having mysterious things happen is frustrating at best and very frightening at worst. However, I don't think that your problem, whatever its cause, is related to the one we have been talking about here.

Perhaps this might help: the "lurching" we have been discussing is not caused by a sudden acceleration, but by an unexpected deceleration, a faltering if you will, of the engine. I had this problem myself, over a long and frustrating period of time before it was fixed, and I can tell you that if the car had accelerated I would have pretty much rear-ended everyone in the SF Bay Area. I didn't because the car stopped when it lurched -- I was in fact more worried about being creamed than doing the creaming.

So it's pretty much the exact opposite of the problem you had.

tomaay

I am having the same problem. The dealer could not reproduce the problem and kept the car overnight, the next morning (today), they weren't able to start the car. They say that American Honda has never heard of this phantom battery draining problem before. They are doing an exhaustive trace of the electrical on the car and will get back to me later today. I am very interested in the outcome of your situation since you had this issue already. Please message back as I can't find any other references to this issue on the internet.

kmh3

Some info that may help wre to this thread:

Here is an article describing how the civic motor starts (among many
other things). It claims that the Civic's electric assist motor normally
starts the engine (using the 144V NiMh battery pack), and that a backup
12v starter motor is also present in the Hybrid that will be used if
the 144V pack is dead:

http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/2003-civic-hy.ars/4

I can confirm the starter motor part as my manual says I can
jump start the car and that 12V is sufficient to start the car.

Seen on www.hybridcars.com:

hot_georgia_2004 (a civic hybrid enthusiast) reports that civic hybrids
have an automatic battery recalibration feature, such that
every couple of years the batter charge indicator will go to zero
(just drop there precipitously) and it will take about 20 or so minutes
of sustained driving before the computer will again give a meaningful
charge indication.

This is because NiMh batteries slowly lose their capacity,
so when you have lost say about 20% the computer will
think you have 20% left but the battery voltage will drop to near zero,
and the computer noticies this and initiates a recalibrate.

This is all heresay of course, so take it for what it is worth.

All that said it still sounds like a real problem exists for some people,
but at least the recalibration will not catch people off guard.

Kurt

nanodelle2

Barb (I assume?):

I hope that all goes well for you and that you get y'self a decent car. I'm saddened that you don't want to keep your Civic hybrid, but that's your choice.
My '04 Civvy HCH, "Midorisan" is a decent car (though she did conk out on me b/c of perhaps an air pocket in the gas line....I went low on fuel...hasn't happened since).
I ain't tradin' my Midorisan in any time soon, not for another hybrid or a "conventional" motor and tranny. Finding her was like finding a hen's tooth...how many preowned hybrids do you see on the market? Not many.
But...I still miss driving a stick shift, and so I test drove a Mazda 3 (as well as a 5-spd Civic Hyb). Mazda 3 was a nice lil' car, lots of pickup w/ half again the HP of a Civic HCH. In-town mileage is about mid-high 20's. If you've had it w/ Honda, try Mazda. My next car (waaaaay down the highway of life....I'll cross that ole overpass when I gits to it!) may be a Mazda hybrid (if they ever get here)!
Best wishes, and drive safely--
Nanodelle

misterme

"hot_georgia_2004 (a civic hybrid enthusiast) reports that civic hybrids
have an automatic battery recalibration feature, such that
every couple of years the batter charge indicator will go to zero
(just drop there precipitously) and it will take about 20 or so minutes
of sustained driving before the computer will again give a meaningful
charge indication"

I've read from Insight owners (Same basic IMA system) that the packs routinely go through recalibration, but didn't give those specific figures.
(Yes, Misterme is HG2004)

Tomaay:
Have you tried driving with your headlights on and see if the pack charges up normally?

moparlou

My Hybrid also slipped before I changed the trans fluid (using the Honda fluid). There was still some slip after the change, but now I have 77000 miles and there is a shudder when I take off from a dead stop, up a hill (motorboating). I am ready for the second change at 90000. I bought the extended warranty because the car is strange and even with 40 years of automotive engineering experience, I want the back up. No one yet has told me how long the batteries last. After asking three dealers how the auxilliary starter was activated, it took getting a copy of the Honda Shop Manual, to find out how it works. The starter only comes on when the IMS battery is depleated and the key is in the start position. My question was, how does one test to see if the starter works if the IMS battery never depletes? No dealer has yet had an answer. The more I talk to dealers, and read the manual myself, the more I think that they are learning at a slower rate than me.

Thoughts?

Lou

moparlou

I took my 2003 in to get the recall software upgrade. When I picked it up, the battery indicated fully discharged. After a 15 minute drive, it went back to normal. So your observation is real, but I don't know if the upgrade caused it or fixed it.

Lou

misterme

I've heard rumors that you can remove the IMA fuses under the hood to test the conventional starter, but I have not tried it myself.

kmh3

Now that is my dream car, my old car was a protege5 (precursor to the mazda 3 5dr). I never would have went Honda if Mazda made a Hybrid that got 50+ mpg.

Well we can wish anyway.

My HCH drives surpisingly well, but not like a poor-man's beamer the way a Mazda does.

Zoom, Zoom, Zoom... :-)

Nice to meet you HG2004 :-) I tried to get your video but don't have that bitstreamer thingy. I think I should have said "every so often" instead
of "every couple of years." I read something into it that wasn't there.

Anyway your posts helped inspire me to try to learn how to drive my car for maximum mileage. :-)

twojing

I'm also having this problem. I had the recall service done yesterday and went to start my car this morning to no avail. I am also interested to find out the extent of this problem.

motherweary

"I took my 2003 in to get the recall software upgrade."

Uh, what recall? Can somebody point me in the right direction to get more info about this?

nanodelle2

Yeah, I'll always like Mazda.It's just a fun car to drive.
I really wish they'd send their hybrids here...I'm pretty sure that they're out 'n runnin' in Japan.
Until we git those zoom-zooms hybs here, it's gonna be Honda for moi.

mbrelvi

I own a 2003 Honda Hybrid Civic with 57000 miles. I took it for the software update recall a couple of weeks back. Since then, I am having problem with the transmission. The car hesitates, almost stalls when you are driving 5-10mph. Also, it has a shudder when I take off from a dead stop. I took it to the dealer last week, and they claim it is the transmission and had me call Honda to see if they will replace it for free. I don't have the extended warranty. Haven't heard back from them yet. I believe there is a problem with the transmission on these hybrid Civics. Curious to find out how many others are having the same problem.

motherweary

This sounds like the lurching problem that a lot of us have experienced (even without this "software recall"). Ask your dealership to check out the EGR valve. They just replaced the one in my '02, and the problem disappeared.

dsell

Ive noticed a slight lurch confirmed by the RPM gauge usually cruising at 3000 RPM. I always figured it was the not-so-seamless transition between "lean-burn" and normal engine operation, usually happening while going up a slight grade. I have changed the CVT fluid and I have not noticed the lurching since, but maybe Im just used to it now. DONT put off changing the fluid whatever you do. I relate it to forgetting to change the engine oil every 5000 miles in a conventional car.

Im taking my car in for the recall service tomorrow and I will mention the lurching to them to see what they say. I have an '04 HCH, and a friend has an '03 who has not reported any problems since the recall service.

If you want to change the fluid yourself, I wrote up a small "how-to" in the Honda Civic Hybrid Owners: Care & Maintenance forum. I would, however, recommend you purchase a shop manual to get better aquainted with the vehicle. They can be purchased on ebay for well below what the dealer charges.

collectibleb

Thanks Nano. Well, of course, the Honda dealer could find nothing wrong as to what caused the lurching, however, I got a call from the American Honda in Torrance CA and they are coming to my house on Monday the 15th of August. They want to know the whole story. I also have pictures, witnesses to give them, brake marks where I tried to brake the car when it lurched and so on. I am looking forward to meeting with the Honda guy. Thanks Mazda is great, I had one in my life and it was a terrific car. Barb

collectibleb

Honda is sending someone to my house next Monday August the 15th, they still have my car. There is something definetely going on with the car. I have seen many lurching problems on this thing, how could you think that it's not happening?? Anyway, I am looking forward to meeting this fellow from Torrance CA , aka Honda American....Barb

larsb

Barb, you are headed for trouble if you keep calling this problem "lurching" - Here is the definition of lurching:

"To stagger. To roll or pitch suddenly or erratically: The ship lurched in the storm. The car gave a start and then lurched forward."

A "lurch" is not a "continuous forward movement." It's a sudden movement which then ENDS. Your car did not "lurch" at all, because your "sudden forward motion" did not END, it continued.

(Why didn't you just turn the car off?)

There are NO OTHER REPORTS ANYWHERE on Edmunds or any other web forum I can find of Civic Hybrids exhibiting "sudden uncontrolled acceleration" - so please don't think you are getting any reinforcement for your lawsuit from the posts on this Forum, because any good lawyer would tear that argument apart.

A "lurch" is similar to "uncontrolled acceleration" only in the same way as "taking one step" is similar to "running 100 steps."

dsell

I totally agree with larsb. If it were a real danger for all HCH owners we would heard more about it. An isolated incident such as this DOES deserve attention, but I think telling every HCH owner out there that they are in grave danger is a little overkill. There are millions of Civics on the road all over the world, and tens of thousands of HCH's out there. If the problem were more prevalent the media would be all over it (as they were with the sudden acceleration problems of other makes/models in the past). The media loves product recall stories, especially when it comes to cars and child safety seats (as it should be!)

I have over 35000 miles on my '04 HCH and I do all of the maintenance myself. The only problems I have had with the car is the "lurching" (in strict accordance with larsb's definition above) and the occasional rattle on the passenger side. Otherwise the IMA system is a great addition to a proven Civic platform in my opinion. I know two other people with HCH's and they are very happy owners as well. One is a geek like me and the other is a typical car owner like Barb. No problems with either of their vehicles.

Barb: By all means, get them to look at the car. My guess is that they wont find anything but a sticky/faulty switch. If they find nothing/do nothing, and you decide to go ahead with litigation against Honda, your best chance is with a class action suit. By the looks of things on this Forum, the class might be pretty small. I AM NOT encouraging litigation, as costly lawsuits usually end up hurting both sides in the end, but I think Barb and her husband are pissed off enough to go through with it anyway.

Best of luck.

fremming

I am looking at buying a civic hybrid but was told there were 102 recalls on it. Well I'm sure that is grossly overstated or I would have heard something in the news but after checking the various forums I am curious as to the actual number recall/updates to the civic. I would like to know if every time I turn around I 'll be taking the car in for a recall fix? Truth or Fiction? My commute is 90mi min with a possible 180mi, so I think hybrid would be the way to go but I'm still waffling a little as to regular gas since 90% of this drive is hiway. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks

ca_trojanboy

I have a 2004 Civic Hybrid. When it first had the slip, it was at 67,000 miles. I thought it was transmission, but my friend said it might be the brake catching and not release fast enough after coming to a complete stop. Whenever it comes to a complete stop, and when I accelerate again, it slips and produces this very annoying "ggggrrrruuumm" noise under 5, 10 MPH. But if I don't come to a complete stop, say making a right turn with that speed (5, 10 MPH), it never makes that noise.

So I took it to the dealership, like I always to for all previous standard services, they told me that Honda does not recommend flushing transmission fluid (TF). Instead, replacing the transmission. But I could try to replace the TF and see what happens. But it's $120 to "see what happens." So I haven't done it. Funny, one day later, I received this recall letter on the ECM. And on the same day, my check-engine light came on. So I took it back to the dealership, and they said, oh yes, probably the Acatalytic Converter (sp.?) So they did the upgrade, and I was hoping that would fix everything. But no, the noise never went away. In fact, two weeks after the ECM upgrade, the check engine light came on again. Took it back, they said, oh yes, we need to replace the Acltytic Converter. They replaced it for free under warrantee (but I thought my warrantee was over at 36,000, oh well...) But guess what? The noise is still there.

So today, I am taking it in for a 2nd opinion. I had it. I am taking it to either AMMCO or MAIDAS to check the brake and transmission systems. But anyone has any idea?

Thanks for any help. :confuse: